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Paisley Grammar School

Higher Revision Booklet

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Study Tips

When you are studying your music, try to listen to as many concepts as possible

in your practice as this will help you to identify the features.

Use the online quizzes available on the sites above to practice exam style

questions. Make sure that you note areas for improvement; then focus on

studying your weaker areas.

Helpful Websites

Type the following into Google and click the first result:

NQMusic

Also try

Learn Listening Online and Music Listening

Revision

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Modern

Through

Composed

No fixed chorus – music changes all the way through – Bohemian Rhapsody

Irregular Metres Changes of time signature while the pulse remains constant. Creates a feeling

of shifting accents Soul popular music including elements of blues and gospel and conveying strong

emotions Jazz Funk Combination of Jazz and Rock

Musique Concrete

Everyday sound recordings included in music – may include effects such as reversing

Classical

Sonata Form Exposition – Development – Recapitulation Exposition – two main themes introduced in related keys.

Development - themes are developed Recapitulation – original themes return in the home key

Sonata Music for solo piano or solo instrument accompanied by piano Concerto (Solo) Solo instrument accompanied by orchestra

Symphony Music for an orchestra

Romantic

Lied German song with piano as equal, not accompaniment Impressionism Musical ideas merge to produce a blurred outline.

Leitmotiv Musical idea related to a character or emotion – Jaws theme

Harmonics High pitched eerie sounds created on string instruments 3 against 2 One line of music playing quavers, one playing triplets at the same time.

Baroque

Ornaments Acciacatura – Crushed Note

Mordent – note, neighbour, note Trill – Fast alternating between two notes

Turn – “Turning” round the note

Concerto Grosso

Group of Soloists accompanied by an orchestra and continuo

Basso Continuo Harpsichord and Cello Concertino The small group of soloists in a Concerto Grosso

Ripieno The accompanying orchestra in a Concerto Grosso Ritornello The returning section of music

Passacaglia Variations over a ground bass

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Important concepts to remember

Homophonic All parts move at the same time or melody with accompaniment.

Same rhythms at the same time.

Polyphonic 2 or more parts with different rhythms. Interweaving and equal in

importance

Legato Notes played smoothly

Staccato Notes played short and detached

Ostinato/Riff Repeated pattern of notes

Sequence Pattern of notes repeated higher or lower

Imitation The melody is copied in another part

Anacrusis Tune starts before the first beat of the bar. Think “Happy” in

Happy Birthday.

Cadenza Passage for soloist to show off. Orchestra stops.

A Cappella Singing with no accompaniment

Syllabic One note per syllable.

Melismatic Lots of notes per syllable

Binary 2 sections – A & B

Ternary 3 sections A B A

Rondo Lots of sections with A repeated eg. A – B – A – C–A – D

Sonata Form Structure in three parts. Exposition, Development,

Recapitulation. Important in Classical Music.

Theme and

Variation

Main theme is played and then changed in a different way each

variation eg. put into minor key, notes added to tune, different

beats in a bar

Alberti Bass Broken chords played by the left hand on the piano. Low - high –

middle – high.

Walking Bass Bass Going for a walk. Usually stepwise and on the beat.

Ground Bass A theme in the bass which is repeated many times while the higher

parts change.

Vamp Rhythmic accompaniment, usually played on piano or guitar. Bass

note on the beat and chord off the beat. E.g. “Oom – Cha”

Cadences

Chords

Perfect – Sounds done V-I

Imperfect – Not finished I - V

Plagal – Sounds Done – IV - I

Interrupted – Not finished – V – VI

Major

Minor

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Voices – Highest to lowest

Soprano

Mezzo Soprano FEMALE

Alto

Tenor

Baritone MALE

Bass

SATB Chorus – Mixed Voice Choir

Always try to specify voice type in questions – by the time you are sitting Higher Music, you

are expected to explain more than Solo Voice!

Dominant 7th Chord built on the fifth note of the scale. Strongest

chord leading back to the home key – Chord 1.

Augmented A chord built only with major intervals. Sounds

crunchy.

Diminished A chord built only with minor intervals. Sounds like

something exciting is about to happen.

Tierce de Picardie Minor piece last chord major. Common in early music.

Pedal Low note sustained or repeated while other parts change.

Inverted Pedal High notes sustained or repeated while others parts change.

Ripieno The large accompaniment in Concerto Grosso

Concertino The small group of soloists in Concerto Grosso

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Tempo = Speed

Musical Groups / STYLES

Orchestra Strings, Brass, Woodwind, Percussion

Brass Band Brass & Percussion

Wind Band Brass, Woodwind, Percussion

Folk Group Fiddle, Guitar, Vocals, Accordion,

Whistle, Bass, Flute, Drum kit, Bodhran

Scottish dance band fiddle, accordion, piano, drums.

Celtic Rock Mixes folk music with rock music.

Reggae Off beat guitar, vocals, drums, organ, bass.

Impressionist Sounds dreamy or blurry. Whole tone scale.

Minimalist Simple and repetitive ostinatos.

Ragtime Piano. Syncopated melody & vamp accomp.

Blues Jazz style, developed from black American

folk songs. Tells a story. Flattened notes.

Swing A jazz style performed by a big band.

String Quartet 2 Violins, Viola, Cello

Chamber Music Classical music for a small group of instruments (Fit in a

chamber)

Basso Continuo Harpsichord and Cello accompaniment present in Baroque

music.

Tempo Meaning

Allegro Fast

Moderato Moderate tempo

Andante Walking Pace

Adagio Slow

Accelerando getting faster

Rallentando getting slower

Rubato robbed time – speeding up or slowing down to suit the

mood of the piece.

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Instruments & Related Concepts

Strings

Violin

Viola

Cello

Double Bass

Harp/Clarsach

Arco Bowed

Pizzicato Plucked

Woodwind

Piccolo

Flute

Oboe

Clarinet

Bassoon

Saxophone (Not in Orchestra)

Blown Air is blown through the

Instrument to produce

sound

Flutter Tonguing Rolling an “R”

While blowing a note

Brass

Trumpet

French Horn

Trombone

Tuba

Con Sordino – Played with a mute to

create a different sound than expected.

Tuned Percussion

Xylophone (Wooden)

Glockenspiel (Metal)

Vibraphone

Timpani (Kettle Drum)

Tubular Bells

Piano

Untuned Percussion

Snare Drum Bodhran

Drum Kit Bongo Drums

Cow Bell Guiro

Bass Drum Castanets

Cymbals Tambourine

Triangle Claves

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Scottish Music

Song Who? Where/About? Accomp? Other?

Waulking Song Women At work No Beating sound

Bothy Ballad Men Farm work Usually no Tells story

Gaelic Psalm Both Church North

Scotland

No In Gaelic, Call &

Response, not nice.

Mouth Music Both Nonsense made

up Gaelic words

Maybe Imitating melody of

bagpipes

Scots Ballad Both Telling story Maybe Lots of verses and

chorus,

Dance Speed Beats Other features

Waltz Medium 3 Only dance with 3 beats

Jig Fast 2 – 6/8 time STRAWBERRY, compound time,

Reel Fast 4 TANGO, simple time, flowing

Strathspey Medium 4 Jumpy, Scotch Snap

March Marching speed 2 or 4 Steady, strong pulse.

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Literacy Tips

Name Length (beats)

Semibreve 4

Dotted Minim 3

Minim 2

Dotted Crotchet 1 + 1/2

Crotchet 1

Dotted Quaver 3/4

Quaver 1/2

Semiquaver 1/4

Key Signatures

C Major = 0 sharps or flats

A Minor = 0 sharps or flats But G#s in music.

F Major = 1 flat b

G Major = 1 Sharp #

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Lines Spaces

Every Good Boy Deserves Football F A C E

Notes below the stave Notes above the stave

Repeat Signs Start End

1st & 2nd time bars

Time Signatures – go right at the beginning of the first line – beside the

treble clef.

= 2 crotchet beats per bar = 3 crotchet beats per bar

Simple time Simple time

= 4 crotchet beats per bar = 6 quavers per bar (splits

Simple time into 2 beats.) Compound time

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Notes

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Categories

TONALITY

Major Minor Atonal

STRUCTURE

Binary Ternary Rondo Theme and Variation Strophic

TEXTURE

Homophonic Polyphonic/Contrapuntal

PERIODS OF MUSIC

Baroque Classical Romantic Modern